Software programs which are intended to increase the day-today organization of users have become highly sophisticated. Calendar programs enable users to enter daily scheduling and event information for a range of years. Contact programs enable users to enter addressing data and other information relating to thousands of persons. Calendar and contact programs may be executed on desktop computers or portable electronic devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs).
Perhaps the only concern with these organizational programs is that they rely upon the organizational skills of a user and upon the frequency at which they are accessed by the user. Scheduled events must be entered into a PDA in order for the device to operate as an aid in providing a reminder of the events. Moreover, even if information of the event is entered into the PDA, the device may not provide the desired reminder, if the device is only infrequently accessed by the user.
Timing devices that provide a reminder of a specific event are available. U.S. Pat. No. 5,016,230 to Seifers et al. describes a timing device that is incorporated into the cap of a container of medicine, in order to provide a reminder that it is time to take medication. The timing device includes an oscillator and chained CMOS flip-flop devices, with an audible or visual alarm that signals after a predefined elapsed time period. The device may be reset manually or may be automatically reset. When the device is reset, it begins the timing cycle again, so that the next reminder will be triggered.
A device for measuring a longer period of time is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,860,267 to Herrington et al. The Herrington et al. device provides a reminder to empty a waste container. The device is attached to the waste container or is integrated into the container. A clock-timing circuit cooperates with an audible or visual signaling mechanism to alert a user that it is time to prepare waste materials for collection. Thus, if non-recyclable waste material is picked up on a designated day of the week, a first device may be attached to a container of the non-recyclable waste. Then, if recyclable material is picked up once every two weeks, a second device is attached to the container of the recyclable material.
An even longer period of time is measured by the automobile inspection reminder device described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,931 to Pettyjohn. This device is adjustable to set its activation time. A microswitch is provided for each of the twelve months of a year, so as to make it relatively easy for a user to set the correct inspection due date in memory. Then, approximately one month before the due date of the automobile inspection, a light emitting diode (LED) flashes as a reminder. After the inspection, the device can be set to the next inspection due date.
As compared to PDAs and other highly sophisticated computational systems, the event-specific devices of Seifers et al., Herrington et al. and Pettyjohn have the advantage of providing reminders without requiring any activity by the users after the initial setup. However, these devices may be inadequate for reminding users of functionally related but time-independent events. As one example, a user may wish to be reminded every thirty days to administer flea repellant or heart worm medication for a pet and to be separately reminded every six months to schedule a veterinarian checkup for the pet. This would require two of the devices described in the prior art.
A more important example of the need for reliable reminders of functionally related but time-independent events involves breast health. While the majority of breast lumps are not cancerous, early detection of those that are significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. The three main types of breast examinations are breast self examination (BSE), clinical breast examination (CBE) and mammography. The American Cancer Society recommends that women over the age of forty should perform BSEs on a monthly basis and have a CBE and mammogram on an annual basis. One concern is that the monthly BSE or the annual professional care will be forgotten. Another concern is that without some external prompt, an uncertain percentage of women will needlessly postpone the monthly or annual exam.
What is needed is a multi-event reminder device that is programmed to enable tracking of dissimilar but overlapping time periods and to generate a prompt for each of two or more functionally related but time-independent events.